A barman carried out a series of rapes on a woman he had lured to his flat, a court was told yesterday.

Anthony Curran, 21, had offered to call a cab for his victim, 19, from his Middlesbrough home. But when they arrived at the flat he tried to kiss her, Teesside Crown Court was told. When she rejected his advances, the barman raped her several times.

He is facing a retrial after a jury failed to reach a verdict on an earlier hearing last August.

Yesterday the jury was told how Curran took the woman to his flat on December 9, 2000.

The woman, now 20, had visited the Steam Packet club in St Hilda's. She had drunk lager and bottles of alco-pops, and had also taken an Ecstasy tablet during the evening.

Tearfully, the woman told the court she first met Curran when he served her at the all-night club.

It was daylight when she left the club and Curran approached her, offering to phone her a taxi from his nearby flat. They walked to the flat and Curran stopped to buy more alcohol on the way.

The woman claims Curran tried to kiss her at his flat and when she rejected him, he raped her several times. She eventually fled from the flat when Curran fell asleep.

Tim Bubb, prosecuting, said a medical examination revealed she had injuries which were 'consistent with an assault'.

Curran was arrested by police later that day.

Mr Bubb said: "The fact that she may have had too much to drink, and may have behaved in a way that was asking for trouble, doesn't mean that the defendant is entitled to take advantage of that situation and rape her."